Eyes
by Bakageta Koto
Summary: Garrus Vakarian visits Liara T'soni and sets her straight about his relationship with Shepard, her former lover. How will Liara react? Post ME2. Addresses GarrusxShepard and LiaraxShepard.
1. Liara

Disclaimer: Bioware owns Garrus Vakarian, Liara T'Soni, Cerberus, Illium, Akuze, Kahoku, and any other events/persons/locations in this fic. They also own my soul.

- - - - - Eyes - - - - -

- - - - - Chapter 1 : Liara - - - - -

"My, but isn't this unusual."

"In my opinion, this entire situation is unusual, Dr. T'soni."

"You are correct in that respect, Officer Vakarian. If I may say so, congratulations on your team's recent defeat of the Collectors. Now, what brings you to my office unaccompanied?"

"Thank you. But, please, just Garrus. I haven't truly been Officer Vakarian since I left C-Sec chasing after rogue Specters. As for why I'm here, I was hoping we could talk."

With an open hand, Liara gestured smoothly to one of the chairs in front of her desk. Her office door closed behind Garrus with a metallic click. The Turian gritted his sharp teeth. Damn his sense of honor. It wasn't going to let him back out until this situation was addressed. Liara laced her fingers together, noting the tenseness in Garrus's form as he took a seat.

"I believe that, despite roughly two years out of contact, we are on well enough terms to be on a first-name basis. So, if you would, simply Liara. What is it that you want to talk about, Garrus?"

Straight to the point, then. Garrus eyed the Asari warily.

Distance: 1.5 meters  
Heart Rate: Slightly Elevated  
Warning: Exceptional Biotic Abilities Detected  
No Weapon Signatures Detected in Possession  
Weapon Signatures Detected in Immediate Area

His tactical readout only told him what he already knew. He ignored it. The ghost of a smile hung about her lips, but her eyes were sharp and storm-gray. She was obviously on her guard. Most likely, she suspected something. He was a fool. An honest, honorable fool, but still a fool. How could someone, especially one of the long-lived Asari, have changed so drastically in the span of two years? This needed to be addressed. He was a fool.

"Liara... I want you to know... it isn't easy for me to say this..." Garrus trailed off, his mandibles flaring in agitation. Damn his sense of honor. Sad excuse of a Turian that he was, why did he retain that?

A memory of his talons flowing through her hair, the roll of her shoulders as her body absorbed the kick of her sniper rifle, her eyes full of laughter, and then full of loneliness. Shepard. He was doing this for her sake, and for the sake of the one who cared for her before he did.

And eyes of a clear sky-blue met those of storm-gray.

"Shepard and I are... together, Liara. If you understand what I mean. I didn't want to go behind your back. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here telling you this.

He wasn't apologizing. He wasn't taking back his actions. He wasn't giving Shepard back to her. Her hands trembled, the light of her biotics playing over her knuckles. His eyes never left her's. It was a credit to Garrus that he didn't so much as flinch. It was maddening. She wanted to kill him. To hurt him until those sky-blue eyes clouded over in pain and shadows of death encroached upon them.

Seconds ticked by. Both of them sat frozen, eyes locked in a strange stare-down.

"_Where is the benefit in killing an ally?"_ the cool, logical part of her mind whispered, _"A rival, true. But, both he and Shepard aided in the matter of the observer. Even if he is not a friend, old ties could persuade him to offer more assistance, should it be needed. He is guilty. That is plain. But, killing Garrus Vakarian will not return Shepard to me."_

The purple-blue glow of her biotics receded into her skin. Liara rose to her feet, turning toward the windows overlooking the city, turning her back to Garrus. She focused her gaze on Illium's setting sun. The rays of deep-red sunlight lovingly embraced the skyscrapers within their reach, paying warm attention to the metal and glass, making the skyline glitter like broken shards of ruby. But, Liara's eyes were blind to the beauty.

"Why did Shepard not come to tell me this herself?" she asked, striving in vain to keep the tremor from her voice, "Also, if you did not wish to 'go behind my back', as you say, then why did you pursue a relationship with her at all?"

She did not turn to face him. Her arms were crossed protectively over her chest, and she continued to stare into nothing.

"Shepard didn't come because I asked her not to." Garrus murmured plainly, a growl in the lower register of his voice, "She has enough weight on her without all of this. Shepard approached me first. I admit, at the time, you weren't in my thoughts at all. She needed someone, Liara. You wouldn't believe how lonely she was... With that brush-off you gave her when we first came to see you, combined with the flat-out rejection Williams gave her, are you really going to blame her for running to me? She took the message that you were finished with her to heart."

Liara whirled around, her eyes filled with fury, pain, and regret. The threat of her biotics hadn't fazed him, but with the full face of her emotions directed at him, Garrus cringed. This wasn't quite going as planned. True, he had been displeased with Liara for her treatment of Shepard, but he had never meant to voice that fact. Never meant to sound so accusing.

"Don't you understand?! I must focus on the Shadow Broker! If I had gone with Shepard, he would have slipped through my fingers! He would have escaped from the punishment he justly deserves! But, even so, I wanted very much to go with Shepard! I wanted the be at her side once more... I wanted to be the one she came to when she was lonely, to the be the one she relied upon! And I did not wish to surrender that position to anyone, including you, Garrus!" Liara's voice was choked with emotion, and she fought to continue, "But, I could not go with her. I need to find the Shadow Broker. Find him and kill him in retribution for every life he has taken, and for the lives he has ruined!"

She tried to say more, but managed nothing beyond a strangled sob, one hand gripping the back of her chair, the other pressed tightly to her chest.

Garrus struggled to maintain an impassive expression. He was, after all, no stranger to the all-consuming burn of hatred, the way one's mind refused to work toward any goal but revenge, the need for retribution. Dr. Saleon. Sidonis. Thankfully for him, Shepard had been there both times, guiding him to make the correct choice, not just the one that felt best. If she had not been with him, who knew how warped he would have become?

"Liara..." Garrus's voice was low now, a calming rumble, "Why do you need revenge so badly?"

Her hand gripped her chair so tightly he could see the tendons and bone strain. Tears were starting to form in her eyes. Definitely not as planned.

"Shepard's body... Were you ever told how Cerberus obtained her?"

"I wasn't."

"I... gave her to them. But, the Shadow Broker wanted her body as well. They wanted to sell her to the Collectors. The Shadow Broker killed a dear friend of mine, and nearly took my life as well."

"You were the one who gave Shepard to Cerberus?" His mandibles flared, eyes widening in surprise, "Liara, you know the kinds of things they've done. Their work with the Rachnai, Husks, Thorian Creepers, killing Admiral Kahoku and his entire unit? Not to mention that they were the ones responsible for what Shepard went through on Akuze! Now she's been forced to work with them, the people who are the reason she has flashbacks every time we come across a Thresher Maw!"

"You have no right to condemn my actions!" Liara cried, throwing her chair aside, half with her biotics and half with her own strength, "I gave her to them because they gave me hope! They told me they could resurrect her! And they were able to! If not for my actions, none of us would have a single hope in the face of the Reaper fleet!" She slammed her hands down on her desk, purple-blue light swirling over her arms, "I knew they would most likely use her for their own purposes! I knew she would be angry at working with them! But I could not... I could not give up on her second chance at life!"

And the tears fell from her eyes, biotics dissipating. "I... wanted to see her smile once more... Garrus, the time that Shepard and I spent together... in Asari terms, it was barely longer than an exhale of breath. And, even now, I am hardly more than a child. Shepard was my first love, and I was selfish. I couldn't stand... and I still can't stand... the thought of losing her. Not to you, not to another, and certainly not to death. It may be a cliche, but she is truly our only hope..."

They would both follow Shepard into hell without a second thought, that understanding passed between them. They two had been at Shepard's back in the final battle with Saren on the Citadel, and Garrus had been with her in the final fight against the Collectors. But, he knew that Liara would have been there in a heartbeat, if she were able. Though she had not said so outright, Liara must believe that her business with the Shadow Broker was for Shepard's sake as well.

"I understand, Liara." Garrus's voice rumbled in his chest, "I didn't mean to sound so accusing."

She dashed the tears from her face with a deft hand, and fixed her gaze upon him once more. Her eyes were piercing, full of pain and sadness.

"Garrus... you understand Shepard's mentality as a soldier. You always have. Better than I ever could. You have followed her to the end twice. Should she need it, hold her close. I am unable to. It is enough for me to know that you are with her, keeping her alive. Don't you dare let her die again."

"I was called Archangel on Omega for a reason. I will protect Shepard, Liara, even if it costs me my own life."

"Then, for that, and for your sense of honor, I thank you."

- - - - - Chapter 1 : Liara : End - - - - -

**A/N:** I'll admit, I'm far better with drawing than I am with writing. But, all the same, thank you for taking time to read this. ^^ If I could ask, please drop a review to let me know how I'm doing? Thank you! =3

**Add-On A/N:** In response to a couple of people asking if I neglected to mark "Complete" for this fic, the answer is no. This fic is not (*shock and amazement*) a one shot, as is my norm. I can assure you that there **will** be at least one more chapter to this fic, possibly two more. (Hence, my naming of this chapter.) ^^ So, please look forward to it, and thank you for reading!

**Yet another A/N:** Please note, the reasons given here for Liara's actions can be found in the comic Mass Effect: Redemptions and also in a one-time dialog option in the game. Here is a YouTube link to the conversation: .com/watch?v=rjFMPaSjAuo (This site kills links, so just add the usual YouTube link beginning to the front of it.) This conversation, as I said, is a one-time only thing, only available after finishing the Observer assignment for Liara, and then it disappears from the conversation wheel after you end that conversation. If you're like me, you probably missed it completely in the first playthrough of ME2, and were left wondering why Liara was acting so out of character.


	2. Garrus

Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything. Check behind your ear. You've got a bar code and a the Bioware company name tattooed there. That's right. They own you too.

- - - - - Eyes - - - - -

- - - - - Chapter 2 : Garrus - - - - -

The skylight in the commanding officer's quarters, so often filled with stars, now held the vibrant red of Illium's setting sun. Its light sparkled though the fishtank, causing the darting fish inside to throw reflections around the cabin with their every motion.

Shepard sat at her desk with her feet propped up beside her monitor, hands folded over her stomach. Her eyes were glazed, distant, studying the model of the SSV Normandy SR-1, but not truly seeing the model itself. Her eyes were focused on the past, on the original Normandy, beautiful and in her prime. Shepard would have trusted each member of the crew with her life. But, in the end, did any of that matter? She was alone in her death. No one was beside her as she was swallowed by the darkness of space.

Yet, because of those called Cerberus, the organization she hated, she was here. Alive. And with so much time lost to her. Lost to the Reaper fleet. The weight on her shoulders was suffocating. She was drowning in it. But, did she really have a right to reach out to someone for comfort? Was this her burden alone? She hated to call herself desperate, but it was probably the truth. If she reached out to someone, would she only drag them down with her? Liara. Garrus.

The click of his talons was audible on the metal floor of the cabin. In three strides he was beside her, but her mind didn't register that he had returned until she felt his hand on her cheek, turning her face to his, away from the Normandy, away from memories.

"Don't do that. It scares me."

"Do what, Garrus?" She managed a weak smile, her eyes losing a fraction of their glazed look.

He frowned as well as a Turian could manage. His sky-blue eyes bore into her's, as if he was trying to pull her back into the present. "Get lost in your thoughts, Shepard. Sometimes I worry that if you keep doing that, you won't be able to come back."

She blinked at him. "What makes you think that's what I was doing?"

"Because you have four unread messages at your terminal, all of which have arrived since I left you sitting in this chair in the same position you're in now." He didn't wait for a response from her, which was a good thing, because she didn't know what sort of response to give. "Do you want me to tell you about Liara? Or would you rather I not?"

Shepard swung her feet off the edge of her desk, and Garrus sat where they had been, his back against the glass of the display case, his arms crossed over his chest. Shepard noticed. In her experience with him, Garrus crossed his arms just like that whenever something bothered him in the extreme. Her eyes flicked up to his face to be met and caught by piercing eyes of sky-blue. Eyes that could look straight through her. Eyes that made judgment calls on everything they focused on, and they were looking straight at her. Judging her? Analyzing her? Eyes that could either accept her of reject her. She looked away.

"I want you to tell me."

"Even if you don't like what you hear?"

"This isn't about liking it or not. I made a choice and I need to hear the consequences."

"Liara T'soni, even now, still cares about you. After talking with you, it's obvious that she brushed you off because she didn't want either of you to be distracted from what needed to be done."

Shepard didn't find a voice to reply with for more than a minute. When she did, she murmured softly, almost to herself, "God... Liara... How was I supposed to know...?" She covered her face with her hand, massaging the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "What else did she say, Garrus?"

The Turian considered his options, left mandible flicking in thought. Tell her everything or leave things out? Which would burden her less? That was why he hadn't wanted her to come along in the first place.

"She's going after the Shadow Broker partially for your sake. Liara was the one who gave your body to Cerberus."

Blunt. Too the point. Too much so. Like he had physically hit her. She recoiled, disbelieving. Where was his tact? Sitting still was suddenly painful for her. She stood, clamping her hands behind her back. Pacing. A caged varren came to mind.

Garrus sat on the edge of her desk, watching the confused thoughts swirl around Shepard in a haze. She would tell him when she wanted more. He only regretted that there hadn't been a more gentle way to tell her. As Shepard paced, he studied her expression. Garrus saw each confused thought addressed, answered and dismissed, or unanswered and categorized. This was how she processed information; he had seen it enough times to fully understand it. The immaculate mask of the galaxy's savior must not be allowed to crack. If that happened, everyone would see her weakness, rather than the occasional slip around those she trusted. Garrus understood it, but had always disliked her need for it.

"What reason did she give you for turning me over to Cerberus?" She shot, her brow furrowed.

"Apparently, she took your body from the Shadow Broker, who planned on selling you to the Collectors. She gave you to Cerberus because she knew you were still needed, and because she didn't want to lose you. Cerberus told Liara they could bring you back."

"And she believed them. She always was naive." A softness crept into her eyes as she spoke.

"They told her the truth, Shepard."

She stopped pacing. Shepard stood facing the fishtank, the reflected sunlight dazzling her vision. Again, she didn't hear him move. His arms were around her waist, holding her close, pressing her back to the armor covering his chest.

"For what it's worth, Shepard, I'm glad she gave you that second chance at life."

"Garrus..."

He leaned forward slightly, nuzzling his face against her hair, inhaling her scent. Sweet, spice, and a slight tang of metal. Distinct. Unique. This human woman. Many people, himself included, believed her to be the only thing keeping the Reaper fleet at bay, their only savior, their only protector. Was she a shield, a weapon, an icon, a steadfast leader in the face of extinction of all life? Or was she mortal, prone to weakness, poor choices, and misgivings like everyone else?

She wasn't only a comrade to him anymore. He had found himself caring for her with a depth he still couldn't fully understand. But, it was doubtful she felt the same way toward him.

As if Shepard sensed his thought, she turned in his hold, her hands on either side of his face. She kissed him gently, her eyelashes casting shadows on her cheeks. Beautiful. Not in a Turian sense. Maybe not in a human sense either. She was beautiful to him because she was Shepard. His talons curled through her hair, the sensation similar to the feel of silk or water. His other arm wrapped around her, almost worried she would vanish and he would be left holding air and memory.

Why had she chosen him? The thought circled in his mind, finding neither escape nor comfortable explanation. Was he merely a token of the life she had lost? A substitute for Liara? Was she simply grasping for the broken pieces of her life from before, ans he was one of the few her hand managed to catch? If he asked for an answer, would it add yet another burden to these small shoulders?

"No..." she whispered, her mouth millimeters from his, "...you aren't a substitute for Liara. Don't even think that, Garrus."

"What makes you think that's what I was doing?" he rumbled, sending vibrations through her chest.

"Nothing particularly observant on my part, unlike you. I could just tell. Woman's instincts." The corner of her mouth crept into a smile. "You've had my back since the beginning, Garrus. You're a better sniper than I'll ever be. You've got guts, an honest streak, and you're as noble as hell. Not to mention that I... love... 'blowing off steam' with you. I care about you because of who you are, not because of how I know you or when I met you."

Relief. Answers he had been to critical of to consider as possibilities rolled off her tongue and rang with truth. His concerns were dissipated by a few simple words from her. Garrus supposed that in itself showed the influence she had over him. But, he didn't mind.

"I'm here if you need me, Shepard."

"I know you are, Garrus. I need you."

- - - - - Chapter 2 : Garrus : End - - - - -

A/N: There will be one more chapter to this fic. ^^ If you don't count that 2,000-plus-handwritten-page Yu-Gi-Oh fic I wrote back in middle school, this is my first multi-chapter fic. I loved writing Garrus in this chapter. I want to write more about him. =3 Also, Shepard's last line in this fic is actually something I said while playing ME2 the first time. XD; (Is that the kind of thing I should admit?)

Completely random A/N: Why in the heck did TIM tell Shepard that Liara was an agent for the Shadow Broker?! He completely -knew- that she wasn't! TIM = Liarface scumbag! I swear, he was -trying- to cut out Shepard's old supports. *growls*

Anyway, please look forward to the next chapter, and reviews are always, always read and appreciated. Thank you so much for reading! =D


	3. Shepard

Disclaimer: Bioware probably has a museum somewhere where they've got all the characters on display with signs on them saying "DON'T TOUCH THE CHARACTER, RABID FANBOY/GIRL!!" Because they can. Because they own all. That museum must make a killing on entrance fees.

- - - - - Eyes - - - - -

- - - - - Chapter 3: Shepard - - - - -

The back room of the Eternity Bar had been rented for the evening, closed to the public. A lone Asari sat at the round table, her legs tucked beside her on the couch that wrapped around the wall of the private room. She ran a finger around the lip of her wineglass, coaxing a soft note from the crystal. Her gray eyes eyes were unfocused, a storm brewing behind them.

There was a friendly chime at the door, and she looked up to see the door slide open and shut with a click. A hesitating smile found its way to her lips as she welcomed the one who had just entered.

"Shepard. As always, it is good to see you."

"Liara. Thank you for agreeing to meet me on such short notice, I can imagine how busy you must be."

"We both are, I am certain. But, in any case, how could I refuse? I was honestly quite surprised to see your message. I did not think you would wish to see me after..."

Her words trailed off, the faint smile vanishing, eyes dipping down to the sapphire drink in her hand.

Shepard stepped forward, setting a stout glass down on the table. Serrice Ice Brandy. Dr. Chakwas favorite, Liara remembered with a sting of guilt. Chakwas, Joker, Tali, Garrus. So few compared to Shepard's former allies, but these four had returned to her side. Loyalty? And yet, here she was, obsessed with the Shadow Broker, and no intentions of leaving Illium. No, this was also for Shepard's sake. Liara raised her eyes from her glass, instead studying the human woman standing before her, her former lover.

Shepard was staring out the window with bright, curious eyes, taking in the view of Nos Astra by night. The stars could not be seen, but the synthetic lights of the city glittered beautifully, each one certain it was a star in its own right. The magenta-lit towers jutted into the sky, their numbers continuing to the horizon and then obscuring it.

Liara had seen it enough times for the glamor of the city night to lose its attraction for her. Instead, she admired the glow that the city gave Shepard's face. How it accented her cheekbones and sparkled in her eyes.

"Gorgeous." Shepard murmured, "Reminds me quite a bit of the Citadel. I can see why you wanted to set up here for your search for the Shadow Broker. Lovely locale filled with lots of contacts."

"Appearances are deceiving in this case, Shepard. Nos Astra may resemble the Citadel, but I can assure you, underneath the veneer, it is as stained and dangerous as Omega."

Shepard slid onto the couch, taking a seat at Liara's right. Had this been... before... Shepard knew she would have sat beside Liara, rather than separate the two of them with the corner of the couch as she had just done. She needed to keep her distance. For both their sakes. The thought had a bitter taste. She swallowed a mouthful of brandy.

"You do know I dislike being kept in suspense. Although I have some idea regarding what you would like to talk about, I will ask anyway. Why did you want to meet with me, Shepard?"

Another gulp of brandy. She wasn't savoring it as she usually did. Somewhere in her head, she was praying for the alcohol to blur her nervousness, wishing to make this easier to say.

"We need to talk. About what you told Garrus, about what he told you... about us. I think want some kind of closure with all of this. Hell, I'm not even sure what I want, Liara."

Liara regarded her quietly for a moment. A blush touched Shepard's face, and not due to the alcohol.

"I understand, Shepard. I wanted to talk with you about the very same things. Assuming that your 'open door policy' is still in effect, may I ask you something of my own?"

"Shoot."

"Garrus told you of... my part in obtaining your body?"

"He did."

"And... are you... that is... do you... resent me... for what I've done...?"

"Oh God, Liara..." Shepard gripped her hand into a fist, wanting to reach out to Liara and comfort her. She restrained herself, "How could you even think that?"

Misunderstandings between them, black smog that obscured happiness. Shepard didn't regret what she had with Garrus, but part of her wondered how things would have turned out if there were no misunderstandings. If she and Liara had been open with each other, clear about their motivations... She stifled the thought. One didn't move forward if they only focused on the "if only"s of the past. Misunderstanding or not, she had made a choice and she would live with it.

"I'll admit that I was angry when I first learned about it... Angry that you brought about the reason I was forced to work with Cerberus... and, I was confused at how you acted when I first saw you again. But, no... I could never bring myself to hate you, Liara."

The Asari leaned back with a sigh, her face in her hands. "By the Goddess, Shepard. You have no idea what a weight that is off my mind. I apologize for how I acted when I saw you alive again... In truth, I wanted to do far more than simply kiss you... but, thought that if I reached out to you again, I would simply distract both of us from what needed to be done." Her hands dropped to her lap, and she met Shepard's eyes. "I am sorry that my actions put you in such a position."

"Don't be, Liara. I'd sure as hell rather be working with people I hate and be still among the living than be dead on some frozen no-name planet. I've got you to thank for my second chance. I'm not going to waste it."

"That was... partially what I meant. I am also sorry to have not been your support when you needed it... Sorry that you thought I rejected you, " Liara hesitated, focusing her eyes on Shepard's "There is nothing left? No hope between us?"

The question brought an ache to her heart.

"No, Liara."

"I see." She fell silent, swirling the drink in her hand. Long seconds passed by before she asked quietly, "Garrus... you are... happy with him?"

This question brought its own sort of ache. Liara was backing down. Shepard could hear it in her voice.

"Yes..."

"Then, I believe that is everything we wished to discuss... I wish the best for you, Shepard." Liara rose to her feet, palms on the table as she tried to gain her balance. Tried to hide what she was feeling. She stepped toward the door, but then turned back, her voice thin, choking back her emotion, "My one regret is... that we were childless... Any daughter of yours would have been both beautiful and strong, a credit to the Asari race. Be well, Shepard."

"Be well, Liara."

She turned once more, her back to the woman she loved deeply even still, and she left Eternity.

- - - - - Chapter 3 : Shepard : End - - - - -

- - - - - Eyes : End - - - - -

**A/N: **I'm sorry it's short. ; While I was writing it, Shepard and Liara told me they wouldn't want to drag things out. They would say what they needed to say, rip the band-aid off quickly. Who am I to argue?

Even though this wasn't a long fic by most standards, I enjoyed it immensely, and feel that I've grow quite a bit in the process. Thank you for reading to the end. ^^ Please look forward to future work from me! Also, review please? =3 I'll give you a cookie?


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